


The World Is Not Enough

by TruebornAlpha



Series: Spy vs Spy [12]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Assassin Stiles Stilinski, Assassins & Hitmen, Established Scott McCall/Stiles Stilinski, Final Battle, M/M, Spies & Secret Agents, Spy Scott McCall
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-16
Updated: 2016-04-16
Packaged: 2018-06-02 16:20:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6573310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TruebornAlpha/pseuds/TruebornAlpha
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The clock is ticking down to the end of the world and Scott has a desperate plan to save it. With Stiles at his side, the assassin and the spy have to team up one last time to take down Theo before he can destroy them all...but victory comes with a cost.</p><p>Or, that Sciles Spy AU!</p>
            </blockquote>





	The World Is Not Enough

Malia sighed heavily, throwing her weight against the heavy cart that slowly squeaked its way down the tiled hallways. Everyone gave her a wide berth. The Haletech demolitions expert had a well-deserved reputation. She smiled at one of the agents with too many teeth as he coughed and moved to the other side of the hall. “Asshole.” She muttered under her breath. “You blow up one facility  _accidentally_  and no one even helps you drag totally not explosive tech prototypes to the new science lab. No one even got hurt, you big babies.”

The agent watched the cart warily like it was going to explode if he breathed too heavily and Malia stopped, hands on her hips and snapped at him. “You just going to stare or you actually going to help me with this?”

“Ahhh, sorry ma’am. Headed out on assignment.”

“Sure you are.” She rolled her eyes as the agent fled. Theo been rearranging everyone’s work schedules, swapping work space, and generally making himself as annoying as humanly possible to assert his dominance. Malia was less than impressed, not that Peter Hale had been a treat to work with. The sacrifices a woman had to make to get to play with the fun toys.

She slowly maneuvered the cart to her new demolitions lab and heaved it into the middle of the room. Stupid place didn’t even have the right kind of soundproofing and the harsh LED lights were already giving her a headache. Someone was really going to have to smack Theo for this. She kicked the cart with a dull clunk.

“You still good?”

“Yeah.” Scott slithered out from where he’d hidden inside all of the junk, stretching his back until it cracked. “Took longer than I thought.”

“Stop complaining, and go beat Theo’s face in for me.” Malia said tersely.

Scott nodded with a ‘thank you’ so heartfelt that Malia smiled. “You ready for the next part?”

“I’ll get in position. Don’t die.”

It almost made Scott laugh. He wasn’t use to being the least expressive person in the room. When he was with her, he wasn’t the Wolf, but he’d never really been just the Wolf between the missions. Malia brought something out in him on most days. It was stronger now. “Be careful, okay? I know this is a risk. A big one.”

Malia snorted tartly. “Chimera’s screwing over everyone and trying to prove he controls us all. He’s trying to tighten his leash around everyone, and he’s always hanging over my shoulder. This way I get some peace. At least Peter left us alone to work.” Something in her voice twisted when she mentioned Peter, something Scott couldn’t quite pin down and her face clouded over. Then a mocking smile transformed it into something impish. “Punch thatsoggy asshole out of here. Before I forget-”

She dug into a smaller parcel, tucked against Scott’s hiding place. In the center of a small arsenal was a tablet with all the latest security information that had been updated since Scott went off the grid. 

“He’s in Hale’s old office. Think you can handle it? ”

“Only one way to find out. Now go. You’ve got shit to break.”

Scott left with Malia’s hearty laugh still warming him to his toes. She was the last friendly face he could expect for a long time, but stepping back into Haletech made his bones sing. He’d walked these halls since he was a child, it’s best and most vicious killer. The only person who knew it better than him was dead now, and Scott knew every trick and ruse to cut through its halls, steadily making his way towards Peter’s old office. 

Even without Malia telling him, Scott would have known Theo would want to take over the Alpha’s old throne. It was the sort of arrogant, conceited thing the Chimera needed to stroke his ego.

It was eerie to see Peter’s office without the Alpha in command like always. He’d been the beating heart of Haletech as much as the spider in the middle of his web. 

As eager as the usurper was to put his mark on the rest of Haletech, Theo had left Peter’s office untouched. Scott wondered if his old friend had done that on purpose, trying to become Peter Hale instead of just a cheap imitation. 

The wall of enormous monitors was still the same, streaming information and updates from three dozen operatives in the field all to the one man pulling the strings. There was the same heavy wooden desk, the same expensive leather seats. All Peter’s refined taste carefully chosen to showcase his power and his wealth.

Scott had grown up in this place, back before he was old enough to go on missions alone. In some ugly twisted way, this was home. He had only one chance to protect it now. Theo’s back was to him, watching the monitors.

One of the monitors showed a ticking clock, the time slowly running down to disaster and Scott curled his lip, flicking his claws into place. In a few minutes, the first of the missiles would launch and the world would fall at his feet.

Without turning, the Chimera smiled. “You think I didn’t know about Malia’s insubordination?” He asked calmly. “I’ve been monitoring her for a long time, you didn’t actually think you’d be able to get all the way here without me allowing it, right? I always thought you were smarter than that. Guess that’s why I’m the Alpha now.”

Scott inhaled sharply, a bitter chill dipping through his nerves, but before air could fill his lungs, he lunged. This might have been a trap, but if he was going to die here, he would drag Theo into Hell with him. A knife slipped from his hand in a graceful arch. One step was all it took, and the pressure plate hidden beneath Peter’s carpet sunk under his weight. A surge of electricity rushed through his body. Scott screamed, shock and pain blurring his mind.

He came undone as black flecks flooded his vision. He couldn’t taste his copper tang on his tongue, or notice the ground rushing to meet him, but there was his knife lodged in plush leather, barely an inch from Theo’s head. A sliver of blood cut across the Chimera’s cheek, and as his victim fell, Theo’s hatred transformed his face into something inhuman.

Scott awoke in increments, struggling through a haze of unconsciousness. He wish he hadn’t. His arms were stretched over his head, leaving his shoulders aching under the pressure. The tips of his toes just barely grazed the ground, as he hung from the ceiling in the center of Peter’s office. His tools were spread out on the Alpha’s desk, leaving him stripped of every weapon but his tightly bound claws. Theo took his time, appreciating the best of Malia’s handheld arsenal.

“Our demolitions expert does a good job, but I’m going to need her to convince me of her loyalty before she can do any more of her work, and if she can’t, well…” Theo commented, as if to himself, but his smile sharpened on his lips as he gave his prisoner a lecherous once-over. “Are you comfortable _Scott_?”

There was no mistaking the mocking lilt in his voice. The spy’s expression was stony, his lips peeling back to bare his teeth, but he said nothing. Theo appeared content with that. He turned to face Scott, one of Malia’s blades balanced in hand. It was bait Scott refused to rise to, but Theo had so much more up his sleeve.

“You didn’t have to be up there. There was a place for you here. I have more power than you could ever imagine. In seven minutes I’m going to change the world.” Theo whispered, dragging his blade down Scott’s chest to cut away his shirt. He savored the sight of his fresh scars and fading bruises. “I might give you another chance to join me. I’ve been so patient with you. Maybe because you look so good on your knees.”

“Never.” Scott sneered, defiant til his last breath.

Theo’s eyes flashed with anger, but his smile never changed. “You were always so stubborn, but no matter.” He lowered his knife, and instead plucked an intricate bronze hammer off the table, an antique from a simpler time that used to adorn Peter’s wall. It looked heavy. “I’m going to enjoy beating that out of you. Before I’m done, you’ll be begging for mercy I don’t have time to give. Feel free to make a mess. I plan on doing some remodeling.”

Then he cracked the hammer over Scott’s ribs.

Bone broke under the blow and Scott bit back a scream as his one time friend laughed. “Did Peter ever discipline you with this? I always wondered what went on behind closed doors, you were so private about it. You used to tell me everything, I took such good care of you.”

The hammer hit Scott’s side with a dull thwack and the young man grunted in pain, the breath punched from his body as pain shot through him. His arms shook with the strain of trying to hold himself up and he choked for air. “You were just using me.”

“Of course I was, but you liked it so what’s the harm? If I was going to be the best, I had to learn exactly how to bring you down. You were supposed to serve me when I beat you, but you always hated playing by the rules.” He ran he cold metal of the hammer down Scott’s spine, smile twisting across his lips when his captive shivered. “I’ve given you too many chances already. Maybe I just miss my Wolf so much that it’s making me sentimental.”

Theo pulled Scott close to look up at him, his prisoner hanging limply from the restraints. “I  _deserve_  this. I’ve earned it, I’ve worked harder than anyone to get what I want. I was promised power and he just gave it all to you instead. Do you know what it’s like to be thrown away like you’re worthless all the time?” The hammer cracked against Scott’s elbow and the spy screamed again, Theo swallowing down the sound in a bloody kiss. “I’m taking what’s mine. You, Haletech, the entire fucking world! You should have joined me, the new Alpha needs a pet too.”

“You’re never going to be Peter.” Scott hissed the words, chest rattling against his broken ribs. He had just managed to put himself together again, the wounds still raw and half healed. There was only so much a body could take before it came apart entirely. The agony stole his strength, vision swimming in and out of focus as he struggled to keep fighting until the last. “He was a monster, Theo. He hurt all of us, but we don’t have to be like that. We can be something better. There’s still time for you to stop this.”

“Stop?” Theo threw his head back with a laugh. “You’re telling me to throw away everything I’ve ever wanted. You’ve changed, Scott. I guess there’s nothing in you worth keeping anymore.” He fisted his hand into Scott’s hair, forcing him to watch the number slowly dwindle into nothing. “But I’ll let you watch me remake the world before I kill you. Consider it one last gift.”

He loosened his grip and walked over to the monitor, throwing his hands out wide. “You gave all of this to me. The better man won.”

Scott’s head bowed in defeat.

_Ten_

_Nine_

_Eight…_

[TEN MINUTES AGO]

This was not how Malia planned on spending her day. Sure she still got to destroy Haletech equipment, but normally that came with more of a boom. In the corner of the docking bay, she worked on disarming the last of the sensors around a large air duct, hidden by a conveniently placed forklift. With monumental effort, the demolitions expert jammed a crowbar into the vent and pushed. She barely made a dent. The crowbar dropped to the ground with a clink, and Malia growled through gritted teeth, bristling as she wiped her brow. This would require more effort, but Scott had told her to be  _careful._  Urgh!

“… Hello?”

And now the vent was talking to her.

“Hello.” Malia replied warily, eyes narrowed in a suspicious squint that the grate could not return, but it did reply.

“Hi! Um. I can help? If it’s okay. But you’ll have to step back, and cover your ears?” 

Malia knew what that meant. She gave those same warnings to any moron dumb enough to interrupt her work. “You can’t set something off there. You’ll trigger the security system. There’s barely enough space to -”

“Oh don’t worry about it!” The voice hastened to placate. “I made these for um. Similar situations. They’re self-contained explosives with modified aluminium fuel for -  just, just step back.”

Malia made a show of sighing, but her interest was undoubtedly piqued. With little more than a flash of light, a series of bangs sounded from inside the vent, and when Malia kicked it away, it crumpled under her boot, to reveal a brilliant, slightly soot-smudged smile, so bright she needed to take a step back. 

“If this is what high treason gets me, I should do it more often,” Malia teased, leering down at the Hunter with a predatory grin. Kira flushed, all the way down the back of her neck, squirming self-consciously in her field gear. Someone cleared their throat from the general vicinity of Kira’s butt, and Malia was only too happy to pull the assassin into her arms. She went with a yelp, dragging a gun that was almost as thick as her arms with her. Cute and smart. Huh.

It took her a second too long to place a name to the face that emerged behind the cutie, but it was impossible not to recognize Kira’s partner. The legacy types always had a target on their backs, and even techs like Malia needed to know who was worth shooting, after all. Allison Argent had just infiltrated Haletech’s main headquarters on the West Coast. Malia almost wished Peter was still alive, this would’ve given him a heart attack.

“Let’s get through today first.” Allison replied pointedly. 

“Well then follow me,  _Miss_  Argent.” Malia shrugged, starting towards the closest door, but not before plucking Kira’s weapon off her back, apparently far more concerned with her new toys than being caught. “Now this is fire power. Is it yours?”

“Oh yeah, I made it.” Kira gasped excitedly as they picked up their pace, taking a winding road through the building. Allison wouldn’t let Malia answer.

“Isn’t this too risky?” Allison interrupted, openly annoyed by the fact that they were  _strolling_ through enemy territory. 

Malia fixed her a wicked smile that seemed so achingly smug. “Don’t worry, our wannabe Alpha’s keeping busy. Now…” She said, turning the gun over in her hands. “You know, that’s a pretty big gun.’

“It’s my new baby! I designed it myself, it’s made out of this alloy I’ve been developing to make it extremely light. It’s a little unwieldy, but I wanted to make sure that it wasn’t going to be too heavy to lift out in the field.”

Kira was more than happy to chat with the enemy, showing off her newest weapons prototype as Allison stalked the hall behind them with a watchful eye. Haletech seemed deserted and Allison wondered how much that had to do with their new leader. If this Malia’s opinions were shared, they could have more allies among the agents and technicians than they knew. It might have been too much to hope for.

“Damn.” Malia whistled appreciatively and Allison twitched. “So you’ve got the weapons, the skills, _and_ the brains. Hey, you wouldn’t tell me if you were the Ghost, would you?”

Allison choked.

The demolitions expert ushered the two Hunters into a secure server room, swiping her credentials to unlock the door and all but pushing them inside. The air was chilled and the machinery hummed loudly as Malia closed the door behind them. “I was told that you could do what you needed to from here. I’m not a hacker, so I guess go do your thing?”

Allison sighed and unslung her pack, sliding a USB connector into one of the terminals and logging into the Haletech systems from the laptop she toted. She typed furiously, and the countdown clock popped up on her screen in an alarming red. “Shit, I thought we’d have more time.”

“Then work faster.” Malia said helpfully and gave Kira another appraising look. 

Allison snarled, but tried her best to take that advice to heart. The numbers continued to tick down as she followed the program’s trail. Once the countdown hit zero, Theo would have complete control of all the long-range missiles in China, and they would launch.

There wasn’t enough time to shut down the launch sequences one by one, but maybe if she forced another general command, she could abort the sequence entirely. There had to be some kind of failsafe, if she couldn’t find it in time-, no. That wasn’t a possibility. Argents didn’t deal in failures, especially when there were lives on the line. She had her father to thank for that.

The other women leaned in closer around Allison’s chair, watching with worried eyes, flirty jokes and weapon specs forgotten. “If you can’t get in, I could blow the whole system. It would be dangerous but…” Malia offered quietly, a last ditch plan that could cost them their lives but save everyone else.

It hurt Allison’s professional pride to have to work with someone from Haletech. Years of conditioning didn’t go away simply because logic dictated it should, but the leader of the Hunters was far more concerned about the safety of the world than her own biases. She nodded briskly, and Malia immediately started to set up their failsafe. Hopefully it wouldn’t come to that.

The air was heavy with tension so thick, it clung to her skin. Allison typed furiously on screen. She was chasing down the numbers. Beside her Kira had stopped breathing, all pretenses of watching the door forgotten. If they were interrupted now, they might all die. If they were interrupted now, the rest of the world wouldn’t be much better off. 

Bright red numbers sped across the screen, racing their way towards  _zero._ The rest of the world fell away to make room for a string of code, the key to their safety hidden in the right order of alphanumeric digits, and Allison had to be the one to find it. Allison had to be the one to put it together, of everything would fall apart.

_Fifty nine_

_Fifty eight_

_Fifty seven…_

Then just like that, the screen cleared, even as the timer continued its race, its prize snatched out of play. Allison turned around to face Kira. That was all it took. A cheer echoed through the room. Allison nearly fell over when the demolitions expert smacked her arm. Kira punched the air in victory, but the Asian woman had little warning before Allison lifted her into her arms, spinning her around and kissing her firmly on the mouth. In the background, she heard someone huff, but Kira’s mouth was soft and warm beneath hers, and Allison didn’t know how she’d survived for so long without this. 

“That’s great and all, but what do I do with all of these?” Malia complained with good-humor when they finally broke apart, waving around her detonator, and Kira laughed into Allison’s throat, tucking herself under her partner’s chin, still holding on like she thought she’d disappear.

“Well,” the Huntress drawled smugly. “I know what you can blow up.”

They had a hacker to save.

On Theo’s screen, the countdown hit zero… and an explosion rocked the foundation of the building. The Chimera gasped, knocked off his feet as a dozen alarms went off at once, accompanied by a dozen more from the garage above them. His eyes were wild with fury, mouth cut open in a horrid snarl and he launched himself at Scott, grabbing his prisoner by the collar and shaking him. “What did you do? WHAT DID YOU DO?!”

Scott wheezed through his damaged lungs, nearly shaking with mirth before he drawled. “If you knew me as well as you think you do… You’d know I’m the best distraction.”

Theo snarled, but a tap on his shoulder caught him off-guard. The agent turned on instinct and met Killshot’s fist with his face. He stumbled backwards with the force of the blow, but Scott pulled himself up on his chains to wrap his legs around Theo’s head, choking him between his thighs.

“What up, douchecanoe?” Stiles said with a grin, leaning down to taunt Theo. “Sorry I took so long. You okay, Scotty?”

“Been better.” Scott dropped Theo who sprawled to the ground, gasping for air. “You just had to wait for the most dramatic entry possible, right? Come cut me down already.”

The blade was already in the way, slicing through the restraints and catching Scott as he stumbled on wobbly legs. Stiles ran worried hands down the other man’s body, adding every new bruise and broken bone to the list of things Theo was going to pay for. “Seriously, you okay?” He murmured, dropping a quick kiss to Scott’s lips.

“We just saved the world, I think I’ll survive.” Scott leaned against Stiles to catch his balance, finding strength in his best friend.

“NO! I worked too hard to let you just take this away from me.” Theo crawled to his feet, fast twisted in a snarl. “And with  _him_. You think you can just replace me with some Hunter trash?” He hit a button on the console, sounding an alarm that echoed through the halls of Haletech. Agents poured in, hand picked by Theo and hungry enough to swear their lives to the new Alpha for a chance at promotion. 

Scott flexed his hands, his left arm limp at his side but he’d fought through worse. He had his claws and by his side was the best shot the Hunters had. That seemed almost like an unfair fight for the Haletech goons. “It’s gonna be a close one, Killshot.”

“I’ve got nothing better to do today.” Stiles had a gun in each had and a vicious smile. “You ready to dance, partner?”

Partner. Yeah, that sounded perfect. “I thought you’d never ask.”

They moved together in a storm of violence. Killjoy shot high, keeping the Haletech agents ducking for cover as Scott whirled between the bullets, darting in close to cut them down. He broke an agent’s nose with a dull crack and sent him crashing to the floor with a wail of pain. Stiles caught another in the shoulder, disabling him before the enemy could even raise his weapon.

“That’s two for me, Killjoy. You’re getting slow.”

“Ha ha, Wolf’s got jokes.” Stiles winged another one, bringing her down as the Haletech agent scrambled to find cover behind the heavy desk. “Oooh, look who just evened the score, furball.”

“Do you want a gold star for second best?” Scott crooned, dropping the unconscious body of an agent at his feet. The smile he sent Stiles was downright  _petty._  Stiles didn’t think it was possible to love him more. Then Scott picked up the fallen agent’s knife and threw it straight into the back of an oncoming enemy’s knee, sending them to the ground. “Keep this up, and you’ll be in third place.”

“There’re only two of us playing!”

“Yeah, you really suck at this.” Scott laughed, until Stiles executed a vicious roundhouse kick into someone’s face before dragging them like a human shield into the fray. And the score was tied. 

His arm stung, and his legs wobbled if he turned too quickly, but Scott was running high on adrenaline and victory. His claws were covered in crimson. He recognized the agents they put down, recognized the faces who thought Theo could protect them. Stewart _,_  and Donati. Diaz and Belasko.

The Wolf was howling through his veins, howling for more, but with Stiles at his back, laughing with triumph, Scott howled along with it. They were wild and angry, and somewhere in the building another explosion rocked the foundation.

Wild and angry, and their friends were coming. 

Funny how that could turn the tide of battle. The smart ones ran, in the face of the Wolf’s bloody smile and Killshot’s steely eyes. Fortunately there weren’t too many of those. Scott was down by one.

“Chimera’s getting away!” Stiles yelled, and just like that, they switched places. Scott didn’t even get a chance to protest, following his partner’s lead and taking the space he evacuated to cut down Stiles’s opponent. The Hunter was on the prowl, and in that moment, Scott was sure Theo would never stand a chance.

He had never been more wrong.

The pops from the gun seemed almost quiet, inconsequential. It didn’t seem flashy enough or dramatic enough to be the end, Stiles was the kind of demanded a blaze of glory to suit his ego, and his face registered the surprise. His eyes went wide and his stance wobbled, stumbling back. Scott saw the moment his hands went limp, Stiles’s own guns slipping from his grip. The almost slow motion grace in the way he fell backwards and collapsed to the floor, dragging Scott’s heart along with him on the way down. The way he lay still and the awful wordless screaming that filled the silence with its rage.

It took a minute for Scott to realize that he was the one making that awful sound. He turned on Theo, the smoking gun still in the Chimera’s hand, and felt everything human in him die with Stiles.

Pain and exhaustion were forgotten, fueled by a fury that the Wolf didn’t want to control anymore. The monster he’d feared for so long boiled through his veins and he embraced it willingly. He twisted sharply, avoiding another shot as he closed the distance between them. Death flashed in his bloody claws as the Wolf forced Theo back, his enemy barely able to keep the blows from landing. They’d trained together for years, fought side by side, but even at Theo’s best, he could never defeat the Wolf like this.

He managed to get another shot off, winging the Wolf’s arm but the creature shrugged off the wound like it was a minor annoyance. Claws caught the gun, tearing it out of Theo’s hand and raked across his arm with a spray of blood.

“Stop!” Theo choked, cruel when he saw his opportunity for power but a coward in the face of a true monster. No amount of pleading could stop the Wolf who kicked out and broke Theo’s knee with one quick strike. He was on the Chimera in a second, straddling the man down to the floor and wrapping his claws around Theo’s neck in a brutal grip.

“ _MURDERER_!” Scott roared, eyes wild with rage, spittle clinging to his lips. The Wolf’s claws dug into his victim’s skin, blood pimpling where they punctured and running down smooth metal. Scott had his thumbs pressed into Theo’s airway, feeling it strain against his fingers. A sickening puce flooded across his face as he struggled to breath, pawing helplessly at Scott’s arms. Theo was dying, and Scott could feel it.

“You took everything from me! He was everything!” 

This had been their chance, after everything. They’d saved the  _world_ , but Scott couldn’t care if he didn’t have Stiles to share it with. There would be no one who knew the Wolf, and worse, there would be no one who knew Scott. He could feel Theo’s pulse fading, watched his nemesis’s eyes roll in his head. 

“Scott?” Kira called out, nervously. That was good; if Allison was here, the fight was already over, Scott understood, but the thought felt like it was coming from somewhere far away. Then he heard Kira’s gasp, heard her rush to Stiles’s side. 

If he did this, he wouldn’t know who Scott was either.  

Peter Hale had made his beast in this room, turning a young boy into a heartless wolf and unleashing him on the world. It had taken years to find anything else inside of him and Stiles had kept him human. Kept him  _Scott_. He looked over at the still form of the assassin lying on the floor, Kira and Allison kneeling by the fallen Hunter and gave a quiet sob.

“No.”

This was a choice and there wasn’t any going back. He was always going to be the Wolf, but that didn’t mean he had to be a monster. Not for Peter, not for Theo, not for Stiles, but for himself. With more strength than he knew he had, he slowly uncurled his claws from Theo’s neck and sat back, breathing hard.

Theo took advantage of the lapse to strike, burying a knife deep into Scott’s thigh and shoved him back, scrambling up to his feet with a snarl. His eyes blazed madly as Scott screamed, waving the bloody blade at his enemy as he backed away quickly.

Scott pressed his hands over the wound in his leg, trying to staunch the bleeding as Theo staggered to the wall and hit a few buttons, opening up a door to Peter Hale’s private control center. “Theo, wait!” He called, but it was too late as the door slid closed and Theo frantically tried to reengage the missile launch program. The giant monitors on the wall flickered angrily, sparks arching between the consoles as Theo pushed the damaged systems beyond their limits.

Safely behind the barrier, Theo rounded on him, a grotesque smile cut across his face as he spewed vitriol. “This was MINE! I worked harder than any of you, I DESERVE this. I’m not going to let you take everything away from me when I’m so close. I’m the alpha!” 

With a wheeze of pain, Scott dragged himself towards the door, eyes widening as he realized what was happening. _Get out of there_ , he should have warned, as the machinery sparked and fizzled, but Scott watched with dawning horror… and mute acceptance. 

The spy curled into himself as the first console blew, Malia and Allison’s teamwork taking their toll on the system. Shrapnel and smoldering electronics sprayed across the room.

“ _SCOTT._ ” Theo’s panicked voice cut through the blast and the dangerous snap of energy, trapped by his own greed too late to realize the danger. “Scott help me! Scott please, help me. Scott!” He pleaded, sounding just as afraid and vulnerable as he had when they were kids and Scott had first promised to protect him. His face was pressed against the glass in the door outlined in a halo of electricity, body jerking and seizing as he tried to pry the door back open. Scott turned away, burying his face in his arms to shield himself from the next explosion as Theo’s voice was silenced. Smoke billowed from the broken machines, thick and acrid with the smell of ozone and burned flesh.

Another alarm went off, shrill but familiar. A fire alarm. Malia strode towards the machine with purpose, an extinguisher in hand, a ridiculously large gun strapped across her back that looked oddly familiar. Scott watched her go, swaying on his feet, before too much pressure on his damaged leg made him collapse against the wall. His head spun, a cold wave settling across the back of his skull, and Scott closed his eyes before he toppled over.

Theo was gone. It was all over, and Stiles. Stiles never should have been here. 

Blood dropped sluggishly down his thigh. His knees began to buckle under his weight, and Scott pressed his hands against them to keep them steady. He didn’t know how long he’d last. It ended in the same room it’d started, the last of Peter’s sick legacy finally put in its place, but Scott didn’t know where to go from here. He wasn’t sure he wanted to go anywhere.

A strangled cough cut through his thoughts. Everything tilted dangerously sideways.

“ _Stiles_ ,” Allison whispered, surreptitiously wiping tears from her eyes, pushing aside his heavy Kevlar vest, but Scott was there in an instant. He rushed to the assassin’s side. When his legs gave out, he crawled. It didn’t matter, nothing mattered, not until Scott found a pair of wicked amber eyes trying to drink him in.

Stiles coughed again. “Did we get ‘em?” 

Stiles looked like an unripe eggplant, the discolorations on his chest a sickly yellow around his tattered shirt and damaged armor. The marks would give way to something darker. By the end of the day, he was going to be a wall of purple, and Scott was terrified for him.

Then Stiles said his name, and Scott was kissing him, kissing him like nothing else mattered, tasting salt on his tongue and licking the blood of his teeth. Kissing him like he’d never get another chance, as his muscles trembled and his nerves screamed, trying so valiantly to hold himself up as Stiles pawed at him, opening so sweetly as he tried to hold on for the ride. He inhaled sharply, eyes crossing as he tried to look up at his greatest enemy, the love of his life, and everything in between.

“ _Ow_ , Scotty, you’re crushing my ribs.”

“I hate you,” Scott hissed, hands carefully cradling the assassin’s face, his claws giving way to gentle, needy fingers. “I hate you so much.”

Stiles reached up with a shaky hand, touching the plush curve of Scott’s lip and smiled with everything he couldn’t say.

_I love you, too._

It had been a long week. Peter’s big wooden desk was intimidating no matter what side you were on, but with all the notes Scott had strewn across it, he could barely see the mahogany monstrosity. It was the only thing that remained of Peter’s old office. The carpet had been tossed aside, too stained to salvage. His private console was gutted. The chairs had been beyond repair. The ostentatious decor was being auctioned off somewhere. 

The bodies were removed.

Overall, Scott rather liked his new office, even if it still smelled like new paint and made the back of his head throb. There was so much to do. The hacker, Mahealani, was a traumatized but brilliant man, and he was eager to thank the people who’d rescued him by working alongside them. Repairs had to be done all over headquarters. Scott needed to determine how to prevent the code ever being recreated. Every now and then, someone tried to object to his position at the head of the company, but Malia had taken it upon herself to punch those people in the face; she was rather disappointed that she didn’t get to do it often. And there was a new alliance to build. They'd taken to calling him the  _True_ Alpha after Theo's failed coup and try as he might, Scott couldn't seem to squash the nickname.

“You were supposed to be lying down thirty minutes ago. Is the new Alpha Wolf in high demand?”

Scott didn’t hear the assassin enter at first, looking over his reading glasses to blink owlishly at Stiles as he hobbled closer to Scott’s desk, a medical bay gown draped across his shoulders. He was brandishing a bottle of painkillers in a decidedly threatening manner. The look on his face made Scott flush, even as he ducked his head, “That’s not my name - I’ll be done in a second.”

“Liar.” 

Scott smiled and didn’t bother denying it, this whole telling the truth thing went for the little lies too. It was strange being so honest with someone, but they were trying even if it didn’t always work. “I’ll be done in a few minutes.”

Stiles scowled and draped himself over the desk making it impossible to get any work done and Scott sighed, turning his attention to the rather insistent assassin.

“Okay, fine. I’m done now, are you happy?”

“Only slightly. If you’re not going to take care of yourself, I’m going to have to do it for you.” It was strange to be so intimate in a place that was filled with such painful memories. Stranger still that there was someone so concerned about his well-being. Scott didn’t know if he could trust the change or if it would all fall apart again, but some things were worth the risks. Stiles closed Scott’s laptop like an asshole cat and bullied the new leader from his chair.

“You don’t have to worry so much, I’m going to be okay. I’ve lived through worse.” He said as Stiles’s frown deepened.

“Liar.” The word was almost whispered, meaning so much more than his broken body. Stiles could only guess at what his friend had survived, but no one had shattered him so completely. The worst sort of betrayal came from the ones you trusted most. The silence was awkward before Scott took the first step, leaning against the other man and wrapping his arm around his partner’s waist.

“We’ll get better.” They had to when Scott clung to the belief with sharpened claws.

It was the truth.

“Let’s get you to bed first.”

They walked through Haletech headquarters, held together by gauze and string, but no one stopped to bother them, nodding deferentially as the pair moved through. A comfortable silence settled between them, and less than a month ago, Scott wouldn’t have dreamed any of this was possible.  Part of him still didn’t. “I guess the Hunters aren’t missing their big gun. Or you’re not as big as you thought you were.”

“I’ll show _you_ big.” Stiles made a pointedly annoyed sound, smacking Scott’s hip, but he cleared his throat, brows creasing as he worked through the thoughts buzzing through his head. “I um… There’s a lot I want to do here. A lot I want to work with.”

“Oh?” Scott dared, but Stiles threaded their fingers together, squeezing Scott’s hand gently.

“I don’t know where I’m going with this, but I want to try. I really do.”

Shy hope wound itself around Scott’s smile and he squeezed Stiles’s hand back. “I do too.”

“Then that’s good enough for me.”

Healing was slow, but Scott could see the way the wounds slowly knit themselves closed and how the bruises faded each day. There were new scars left behind, but they learned to live around them. Allison had made good on her pledge to change the Hunters, forcing the centuries old assassin’s organization into a force for good and Haletech was there to help. Under Scott’s command, the two groups formed an uneasy alliance, sharing information and missions to undo the damage caused by their rivalry. It was impossible to rewrite decades of hatred overnight, but the two young leaders inspired change.

At home in the too fancy penthouse apartment that Stiles refused to give up, the assassin and the spy attempted their own reconciliation. It was as slow to heal as everything else, filled with awkward silences and flaring tempers. They were caught in the middle of something that never existed, best friends with strangers and too many confusing, conflicting feelings to know how to move forward. So they want backwards, finding the foundation and rebuilding brick by brick. 

“You sure you want to do this?” Scott asked, squinting up at the grey sky and the already misting rain that made everything uncomfortable and damp. The art museum had been closed for weeks after  _someone_  had shot up the place and beaten up half a dozen police officers in their escape. There weren’t any new leads on the perpetrators, what was this neighborhood coming to?

“You don’t want to?” Stiles paused outside stone archway to the museum. “I thought you liked this place.”

“I do, I mean…it’s not the same. Some of the artwork was damaged, they had to replace it with new stuff. It’s not going to be like it was.”

Stiles smiled and held out his hand. “That’s okay, dude. That just means there’s new stories for us to make up.”

**Author's Note:**

> You can find Dans's awesome fics [here](http://nevertrustastilesthing.tumblr.com/)
> 
> You can read Rune's stuff [Here](http://fightingforthepack.tumblr.com/) and find her on tumblr at [ Runicscribbles](http://runicscribbles.tumblr.com)


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